TEHRAN – Nine months after he was denied a seat in Yazd’s city council, Sepanta Niknam, a follower of Zoroastrianism, regained his status as councilor.

According to a new legislation passed by the Expediency Council, religious minorities can now run in city council elections, Majid Ansari, a member of the Expediency Council, said on Saturday, IRNA reported.

The move overrides the Guardian Council’s rule that a non-Muslim cannot be a member of a body which makes decisions about Muslims.

The ban on Niknam turned into a matter of national controversy since it was placed on him.

MH/PA